When a person is 'stolen', he/she is said to have been kidnapped. The funny thing about message is that the person kidnapped is being instructed to call the police. One must then assume of course that the kidnappers have left the person untied, ungagged and unattended. They would also have had to generously leave a handphone well within reach so the victim could let the police know of their whereabouts.
Way to go kidnappers! The word 'stolen' is usually used with reference to another's property being taken away without permission or right, either secretly or by force. To use it in the context of a kidnapping would imply that the person was equated with property. The only occasion when the word could be used in relation to a person is in the context of: "She stole my boyfriend" or "My girlfriend was stolen by my bestfriend", where the person concerned is viewed as anothers's 'property' and therefore can be stolen.
But as the sign is at a police station, and the police could have no heart-felt links to victims, it should have read: "If you know of anyone who has been kidnapped, call the police at once."
No comments:
Post a Comment